Vegetarian Journal Sept/Oct 1999

Note from the Coordinators

Americans Buying More Meatless Meals

To gauge the demand for meatless meals in restaurants, The Vegetarian
Resource Group conducted a poll (see page 11) to find out how often customers
were ordering vegetarian meals when dining out. Though our previous polls
indicate about one percent of the United States is vegetarian (no meat,
fish, or fowl), about five times as many people say that when eating out,
they always order a dish without meat, fish, or fowl (5.5%). And over half
of the population (57%), sometimes, often, or always order a vegetarian
entree!

There are many preferences to which foodservice staff must cater. But
if a vegetarian item tastes good, about half the population will eat it.
Food companies and restaurants just need encouragement and help in order
to offer more meatless items.

The demand is there, and The Vegetarian Resource Group is assisting
restaurants, colleges, and other institutions to serve more vegetarian
options. Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, our foodservice advisor, was invited
to give a session on soy foods at the annual meeting of the Dietary Managers
Association. Their members supervise food preparation in hospitals. This
summer, Nancy also gave a session on vegetarianism at the National Association
of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) conference. In addition,
VRG had a booth at NACUFS, where we gave out recipes and other resources.

Each week food companies call VRG. For example, one business which sells
products to hospitals and universities up and down the East Coast wanted
to produce more vegetarian items. Our staff, volunteers, and summer interns
spent numerous hours with them helping the company to understand vegetarian
needs, as well as sharing marketing ideas and suggestions for new products.
We look forward to seeing some of their foods in your local colleges or
hospitals in a year or two.

Other outreach by Nancy included: 1) consultation with the Art Institute
of Los Angeles (part of a 25-culinary school national chain) on incorporating
vegetarian instruction in nutrition, regional cuisine, and ethnic cuisine
classes; 2) presentation to Los Angeles sales representatives on answering
their customers

(commercial and noncommercial food services) questions on incorporation
of vegetarian ingredients into their menus; 3) presentation at the International
Association of Culinary Professionals about making vegetarian meals in
a glass or cup (soups, smoothies, shakes, etc.); 4) coordination of a vegetarian
menu for an animal-rights adopt a pet day at the Los Angeles County Museum,
attended by over 500 people (and 85 animals were adopted!); and 5) presentation
to the writers and guests of the staff of Food and Wine magazine on vegan
wines and food pairings.

If you would like to assist us in our foodservice campaign, please give
a Vegetarian Journal's Foodservice Update subscription (quarterly newsletter
written by Chef Nancy Berkoff) to institutions in your area. For VRG members,
cost is only $10 per subscription. Send the fee along with the names and
addresses of your local colleges, restaurants, hospitals, business cafeterias,
etc., to VRG Foodservice Update, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. Thank
you for your support!

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